Virtual transactions have already become commonplace. On the Internet, you can buy pieces of furniture, theater tickets and you can pay for various services. However, you need to choose the safest way to shop online. It is very convenient to deal with online shopping because everything can be done safely at home at any time of the day, thus saving time.
The Internet offers many opportunities for fast and convenient shopping. But there are also many fraudulent sites. How do we proceed? Didn’t we buy online? This is not an option, it is better to know how to do it safely and comfortably. That’s why we created 5 effective tips for safe online shopping.
1. Choose a reliable site
An obvious but effective tip: choose products from popular stores that have been around for more than a year and are in demand. The prices there will probably be higher than on the dubious pages, but there are many advantages. This is both an official guarantee for the use of the product and a refund if, for various reasons, you are not satisfied with the purchase.
Do not enter the card details on an unknown site without checking the seller’s background. Before you buy, research what you are dealing with on the Internet.
2. If in doubt, look for reviews
Sometimes it is enough to conduct a small investigation on the Internet to say that the store where they are going to deal with a purchase has received a series of bad reviews – customers complain that they have not received the goods or talk about other issues.
Often, rogue online sellers who do not even intend to send you something try to create the appearance of a serious and high quality work. To do this, they add fake reviews on the site. And usually, such comments are written by potential editors hired for money. You can easily recognize them by their unique style:
- In texts from “different” clients, the same phrases are encountered, spelling and speech errors are repeated.
- Comments are published “in bulk”. In a few days, a dozen positive reviews appear, often with the same interval, then after a break (the editor has a day off) the situation repeats itself.
3. Cash payment
Perhaps the most acceptable payment method for most users. You can pay in cash to the courier who delivered the goods to your home or office, purchase the purchase at the box office of the pick-up point or in the warehouse. Everything is clear here: the consumer receives the goods and pays for them – almost like in a regular store.
The product can be inspected, touched and sometimes even tested, if it does not fit – a refusal is often offered, which is the most acceptable way to purchase a product for most buyers. So, you will know exactly what product you are paying for and, if there is a difference between the image and the real product, you will be able to determine if the product can be had or not.
4. Make sure the item can be returned if needed
The website of the web store should have a clear description of the buying process: what are the obligations and responsibilities are the buyer and the seller, conditions of sale and payment, delivery time, delivery options. You must also indicate the conditions for returning the goods.
5. Update your computer’s software and antivirus protection
When shopping online, it’s important to make sure your computer software and antivirus protection are up to date. Updates contain address changes to help protect you and your device from online scams when shopping online.